Picking Daisies
by Classy Abigail
Summary: Yuugi never abandoned his childish ways. He never stopped believing in them, either. Good thing he's got Atem around to watch his back. Atem "Yami" /Yuugi. Rated M for suggestive themes. Edit: lemon removed.


**A/N:**

**Edit: **The lemon has been taken out due to guilt/embarrassment.

It's oneshot time! Thank you to Eileena and Kaleigh Elric for ripping this apart and making it presentable! You guys are cool!

To be honest, I wasn't exactly focused on a plot with this one. It was more of a "Hey, maybe I'll try a lemon? What? Plot? Surely you jest." kind of thing. Still, I hope you enjoy the random screwing!

**Disclaimer:**

You are sorely mistaken to think that I own anything but this miniscule plot.

"He loves me," nineteen year old Yuugi Ahknemkhanen stated dreamily, carefully plucking a petal off of the white flower and dropping it into the clear water of the small lake. The cool, slick mud by the shoreline squished between his toes as he wriggled them happily in the earth. "He loves me not," he continued, letting the next petal flutter in the breeze as it lightly floated to the water. It landed beside the previous petal, and another followed it shortly. "He loves me."

The weather was perfect on that sunny afternoon, if not a bit chilly. Yuugi was perfectly comfortable in his baggy, white t-shirt and khaki cargo shorts as long as he remained in the warm sun rays and out of the shade. "He loves me not." His flip flops were hanging by their straps on a nearby tree branch so that they didn't get muddy. "He loves me." He glanced up at the sky, using one hand to shield his eyes from the bright sun. The perfect blue was broken occasionally by a puffy, white cloud and the occasional songbird winging by, singing a cheerful tune.

"He loves me not." Only a few petals were left now. Yuugi paused to watch as the plucked petals all drifted lazily away on the water, propelled by the light breeze. Casting his relaxed gaze to his right, the amethyst-colored eyes regarded the large, almost mansion-like house with warm emotion. It had crisp, white siding and dark, black shutters on the windows. The driveway circling the building was paved with gray and white gravel. Daisies, dandelions, and other colorful wildflowers dotted the grass around the house, giving it a cheerful, welcoming look. It was the house Yuugi had come to love over the past few months. They had remodeled it together.

Raking a tiny hand through his tricolored locks of hair, golden wedding band glinting in the sun, the small teen curled his toes in the mud as he pulled off the very last petal, twirling the yellow center between his fingers. "He loves me."

Atem Ahknemkhanen drummed his fingers on the steering wheel of the slick, black car, vehemently cursing the rush hour traffic he was currently stuck in. Looking dourly out the window, the man observed through the tinted windows that many people were staring right back out their windows at him, most likely gawking at his vehicle of choice. Where he worked, the expensive, foreign car wasn't a rarity, but as he travelled closer and closer to his home, he began to stand out more and more in the crowd of common-looking vehicles.

'Honestly, why Yuugi prefers living in the dirty, inconvenient countryside is beyond me,' he mused to himself bitterly, propping his chin up on the steering wheel as he waited at a traffic light. It would have been easier for him to live in the enormous city where he worked, but his lover was originally from a small town, and Atem wanted to accommodate the younger man as much as possible. They had tried an apartment in the bustling city before. It was an easy, quick walk to the native Egyptian's workplace, an upscale office building, but of course, as fate would have it, Yuugi was a nervous, paranoid wreck in the crowded city, and Atem would never subject his little love to that. So they had begun remodeling an older home in the outskirts of the city right away. Atem ordered for evergreen trees to be specially flown in and planted around the property's borders to give their new home a secluded feel, and workmen had been hired to dig out the pond on the property into a small lake. Yuugi liked smaller houses, but Atem wouldn't budge on having a large one, so they had extra rooms added on.

Having successfully distracted himself from the heavy traffic, Atem's mood was rapidly improving, and the businessman decided that maybe he would take Yuugi out rowing on the lake that evening. The crickets chirping, the breeze gently rustling the leaves on the trees, and the sound of the rowboat gently skimming the waves were all noises that soothed his frazzled nerves from a long day at work.

And, of course, there was Yuugi.

Yuugi. Atem hummed low in his throat, smirking slightly. His gaze flicked to the large bouquet of daisies on the passenger seat. _Yuugi. _His beautiful, younger husband. His ivory skin always looked best at twilight under the glow of the silver moon and the twinkling stars, and the way those watery amethyst eyes looked at him with such pure love made the man powerless to the other's charm.

They had met at Yuugi's old high school on his graduation day nearly a year and a half ago. Atem was there for his cousin's lover's graduation when he had seen the striking Japanese teen standing all by himself off to the side, mere feet away from him, after the ceremony. The boy was watching the crowd of happy parents and students with an unmasked look of longing so miserable that Atem's heart nearly broke right there for him. That was when the businessman had seen a group of the teen's classmates heading towards him. He was relieved for a moment at the sight of who he assumed were the lonely boy's friends before he caught a glimpse of the malice in their eyes. They were headed straight for the lithe teen from the left, curling their hands eagerly into fist. Why didn't he see them coming? Atem remembered thinking that as approached Yuugi himself from behind, looming protectively over him and glaring straight at the thugs with as much loathing and hatred as he could muster. Later he would learn that his love was permanently blind in his left eye. It was only when they retreated quickly that Yuugi noticed their presence. His spiky-haired head snapped to the side before turning up and over his shoulder in shock and awe.

When their eyes met for that first time, Atem knew there would be no escaping this boy. His eyes were practically overflowing with countless emotions as he swapped stares with the cool businessman's schooled expression.

The feel of the bumpy dirt road snapped Atem out of his pleasant daydream abruptly. With a half-hearted grumble, he rolled up the window so the dust wouldn't get into the car and concentrated on the twists and turns of the long driveway leading up to the only place he ever wanted to call home.

The crisp, clear water all of a sudden looked very inviting to Yuugi, so the teen looked to the driveway quickly before putting a bare foot tentatively into the lake. "Huh," Yuugi remarked to himself. Though it was quite cold, the water wasn't nearly as cold as he thought it would be. Wading deeper into the water until the gentle push and pull of the water touched the hem of his shorts, Yuugi sighed in happiness. The water was always something he loved, even if he hadn't ever learned how to swim properly. He played with the surface of the water curiously, running his fingertips gently across it and flicking the liquid around. A childish giggle escaped his lips as he carefully waded in deeper, feeling his baggy shorts billow out as they filled with water. Now the water was at his hips, and the teen felt the first pang of fear that reminded him of why Atem had warned him about playing in the water unsupervised. The thought made him frown grumpily for a moment before a look of rebellion crossed his face. "I'm not a child," he declared to no one, "I can handle one tiny pond, thank you very much."

Moments after he had spoken, Yuugi felt something brush against his ankle. Gasping in shock, the teen yanked his foot up abruptly, losing his balance and splashing forward into the deeper water.

It was as Atem was nearing the house that he began to hear an unusual sound. Usually he would hear nothing but the crunching of gravel under the tires of his car and the faint sound of the stereo in the kitchen playing jazz music while his love made the dinner preparations. What he heard now wasn't music, but something else that made his blood run cold with terror as his mind identified it as frantic splashing and screaming. High-pitched, terrified screaming. Yuugi screaming.

He threw the door open violently, tearing his suit jacket off and flinging it onto the manicured lawn as he dashed around the car, sprinting down the slope that led to the lake. Atem could see now that there was a figure along the western edge of the water, far out just enough that he would be unable to stand, flailing and crying for help. The sight gave him a burst of adrenaline, and he had barely reached the bank before he flung himself into the water, allowing his upper body to do the rest of the work as his powerful arms strokes cut through the water, taking him faster than his legs could towards his husband.

Scooping the struggling Yuugi up into his arms when he finally reached the struggling teen, Atem held him against his chest as he trudged through the water towards the shore, successfully pinning the smaller man to stop his movement. The elder dropped to the ground beside the tree, panting from exhaustion, and simply clutched Yuugi desperately, too winded to speak.

Yuugi coughed and sputtered, already feeling the terror recede as he felt his husband's warmth against his clammy skin, though his teeth had already begun to chatter. One shaking hand moved to the base of Atem's neck, and he leaned up just enough to press a kiss to the tan man's collarbone. "W-Welcome home," he said weakly, dropping his head to his love's shoulder.

"What," Atem began, taking a shuddering breath, "What were you thinking, going out into the water alone?"

"I-It was an acid-dent," Yuugi offered through chattering teeth, trying unsuccessfully to free his trapped arms, "I fell."

"Like hell you did. What if I hadn't shown up when I did?" Atem questioned, locking his stern gaze on Yuugi's fearful one. His tone softened with worry. "Yuugi, you could have drowned."

"I'm s-sorry," he apologized, wondering why he was the only one shivering, "I didn't m-mean to, 'Tem, i-it just h-happened!" The small teen was crying when he finished his lame excuse. He buried his face into his husband's soaked shirt, trying to hide his face so that he wouldn't have to see the anger in those eyes that he loved so dearly.

Atem sighed as his anger cooled off. Yuugi was safe and in his arms. That was all that mattered for now. He let his head fall back against the rough bark of the tree for a moment before standing up on wobbly legs, worn out from the sudden exercise. "Don't be afraid anymore, love. I've got you. You're safe now," he murmured into the distressed teen's ear, heading back up to the house before either of them caught a cold.

Yuugi shivered in spite of the warm blanket that was draped over his shoulders, the warm pajama set he had changed into, and the piping hot mug of soup that he was clutching in his hands. The steam rising from the stewed vegetables warmed his face as he stared into it. He sniffled weakly, turning his gaze over to the doorway leading into the kitchen. Atem was standing at the stove in nothing but a pair of sweatpants, spooning some soup into a mug for himself. The elder hadn't said a word to Yuugi when he had helped him change or when he had handed him his dinner; the teen was worried that his husband was upset with him. He turned his gaze back to the mug, deciding that it was safer to just wait for Atem to talk to him first.

The weight shifted on the couch, and a strong, tanned arm wrapped around Yuugi's tiny shoulders. Atem sipped at his mug, grateful for the hot, thick liquid sliding down his throat and warming him up. He turned his head to look at Yuugi, surprised when his lover wasn't looking back. "Yuugi?"

"Yes?" the teen asked hurriedly, snapping his head up to face his husband.

Atem sighed when he saw the nervousness dancing in his love's eyes. "I'm not mad at you, Yuugi," he stated in a soothing tone, giving his small shoulders a reassuring squeeze. "I was just so terrified when I realized you were in danger. I don't know how I would live if anything like that happened to you."

Yuugi blinked, startled. "You really mean that?"

"Yuugi, I'm married to you, and I love you more than life itself. Why wouldn't I mean that?" Atem asked in disbelief.

It was quiet for a moment. Then Yuugi took Atem's mug from him slowly, setting it down on the coffee table in front of him and placing his own soup there as well. He took the blanket from around his shoulders, folded it carefully, and placed it on the floor. Turning back to his befuddled husband, Yuugi placed his hands on either side of Atem's face, leaning up to kiss him deeply. He was deliberately slow, almost teasing the other man, and when he pulled away, the teen stared into those crimson eyes that he lived for, watching first the confusion, then the realization, and finally the unrestrained lust flick across his husband's expression before he was roughly tackled onto his back.

Atem had his hands in Yuugi's hair, raking his fingernails along the younger's scalp and lifting his head up as he had his way with Yuugi's mouth. The younger moaned when the Egyptian's tongue found its way past his lips, toying with his and exploring the inside of his mouth, though he already knew it well.

Yuugi's tiny hands mirrored Atem's movement, tugging at his lover's spiky hair playfully. He daringly rolled his hips up against Atem's, satisfied when he heard the moan it elicited. He broke the hold the elder had on his mouth, gulping in much needed air desperately. His break was short-lived, however, as Atem already somehow undone all of the buttons on his pajama top.

The sight of Yuugi, panting and staring at him with lust-clouded eyes, was all the permission Atem needed.

Morning found them tangled together on the couch under the blanket. The sun's rays shone through the many windows in the house, making it impossible for Yuugi to stay asleep. He groggily lifted his head, looking around to get his bearings. Two mugs of cold, forgotten soup stood side by side on the coffee table. The teen smiled, gazing down at Atem's sleeping face warmly. He kissed his husband's forehead, mumbling a cheery "wake up, dear".

Atem's eyelids twitched, and he slowly opened his crimson eyes to stare directly into Yuugi's wide, amethyst ones. They were filled with so much affection and want that the man felt himself growing hard again at the mere sight. It didn't help when he felt Yuugi's fingertips playing across his chest. "Oh, no you don't," Atem protested, grabbing Yuugi's wrists in one hand and flipping their positions. "You're too sore to go again," he insisted, climbing off of the couch.

"I am n-ahh!" Yuugi's retort was cut short as a stab of pain shot up his spine when he attempted to sit up. The teen let himself fall back down. "Oof."

Atem gave him a concerned look, trying to mentally talk himself out of his worry. Yuugi was always in mild pain the mornings after they were together. He walked into the kitchen, thinking that making breakfast would keep him distracted. He turned on the stovetop before searching around in the cabinets, looking for the frying pan he knew wasn't where he had left it. Yuugi and he had differing opinions on where the cooking utensils should be kept. Atem liked the pots under the sink and the pans above the stove. Yuugi insisted that the pots go above the dishwasher and the pans go in the sliding tray under the stove. Sometimes the younger would switch everything up completely just to aggravate his partner.

"Above the refrigerator," Yuugi called from the living room.

Atem looked over his shoulder. Yuugi had propped himself up on the armrest and was watching him with a look of exhaustion on his face, as if just watching the other move around was tiring.

"Thanks," he replied distractedly, eyeing the refrigerator skeptically. 'How did Yuugi reach all the way up there?' he wondered to himself. He reached up and opened the cabinet, pulling down a large frying pan and a small one.

The sounds and smells of sizzling bacon and eggs filled the air. Atem moved the spatula around the big pan, evenly cooking the eggs, while he kept watch over the second pan with the bacon in it. This breakfast was his specialty. Cold cereal was Yuugi's.

When the meal was ready, Atem scooped the food onto plates and took them into the living room. He added a side of painkillers to Yuugi's plate, as his husband was still looking uncomfortable.

"Thanks," Yuugi said gratefully, taking his plate from Atem and swallowing the pills immediately. He sighed, putting his plate aside and hugging his knees to his chest.

"Something wrong?" Atem asked in concern, smoothing Yuugi's bangs away from his paler than normal face.

"I still feel like I should apologize for yesterday. You told me not to go out into the deep water alone, but I did, and you had to rescue me. Your suit got ruined from the water, too," Yuugi explained, eyes half-lidded with remorse.

"It's just a suit, Yuugi," Atem replied with a quiet chuckle, "It's true that you went against my warning, but I'm just glad I got home in time to save you. And you won't do it again, right?"

"Of course not," Yuugi agreed. A mischievous glint appeared in his eyes, "That is… unless I could interest you in some lake action?"

Atem made a humming noise in his throat, pulling Yuugi in for a hug. He nuzzled his face into the crook of the teen's neck, pressing a kiss to his cool skin. "An excellent idea, my dear."

**A/N:**

Feel free to leave me some feedback (which you KNOW I could use), and I'll give you a cookie! I have a plate of them right here. You can have chocolate with white crème or chocolate chip.


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